MANILA, Philippines – Contractors found guilty of undertaking “ghost” and substandard projects will face lifetime blacklisting, newly-appointed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon announced on Monday.
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| Photo courtesy: Presidential Communications Office |
Speaking at a Palace briefing, Dizon said the sanction would take effect immediately while criminal charges are being prepared against erring contractors.
“Ang mga contractor nitong mga ghost projects na ito, unang-una, mag-i-impose po ako ng lifetime blacklisting, ban immediately,” he declared.
Dizon emphasized there will be no lengthy investigation once a project has been proven either non-existent or below standard.
“Kapag ang isang project ng isang contractor ay ghost o napatunayang substandard, wala na po itong proseso, wala ng imbestigasyon,” he said.
He stressed that contractors in such cases would automatically be banned for life and still face the appropriate charges.
The DPWH chief added that all findings will be turned over to an independent body to be created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to probe anomalous projects.
Marcos earlier said the commission will also be tasked with recommending legal actions against all individuals implicated in corruption cases.
“Sila po ang mag-iimbestiga at magpa-file ng mga karampatang mga kaso laban sa mga kawani ng DPWH, sa mga contractors, at sa iba pang mga kasama dito,” Dizon explained.
He revealed that thousands of complaints have already been submitted to the sumbongsapangulo.ph website in just a few weeks.
Dizon vowed to revise existing DPWH procedures that currently delay blacklisting, stressing that ghost projects must be dealt with swiftly.
“Hindi na po natin kailangan mag-imbestiga kung ang project ay ghost,” he concluded.
— The Summit Express